


Settle Down

by themuffintears



Series: Let's [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternating Third-Person POV, Begins before the nov 16th war, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mentioned Alyssa | ItsAlyssa, Mentioned Captain Puffy, Mild Language, Neutral Sam | Awesamdude (Video Blogging RPF), Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Running Away, Therapy, Toby Smith | Tubbo and TommyInnit Run Away, by alternating pov i mean most chapters will be from tommy's pov and occassionally from others, platonic physical affection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27585109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themuffintears/pseuds/themuffintears
Summary: Tommy, Tubbo, and Niki leave everything behind and run away. They decide to stay with Sam before their next decision.The decision never comes—Sam feels like home, they all think. So, they stay.They were right, they learn. Together truly is home.(Or, a story of how the four of them grow to become family and everything that follows.)
Relationships: Niki | Nihachu & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Niki | Nihachu & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), No Romantic Relationship(s), Sam | Awesamdude & Niki | Nihachu, Sam | Awesamdude & Niki | Nihachu & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Tommyinnit (Video Blogging RPF), Sam | Awesamdude & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: Let's [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016401
Comments: 53
Kudos: 566





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi!  
> i’m super excited to share this story with you guys!! (and this note is going to be long bc there’s a few important things i want to go over first)
> 
> first off(even though ik it’s not likely)- if you’re a cc that’s written here, i ask you do not read this story
> 
> heads up, a few things involving sam(his base layout, etc) might be incorrect/ooc! the biggest change is george and sapnap aren’t his roommates, and sam is neutral instead of being involved with the badlands.
> 
> this won’t have too much of a plot, but will focus on developing the platonic relationships between the four of them through fluff and some hurt/comfort. for updates, i’m hoping to post one chapter a week sometime during the weekend,, realistically that won’t happen sdjfdlsk but if i’m able to i will! 
> 
> finally, i wrote a [one shot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584933) as a prologue for the story that briefly sets up how they got to this point. if you’d like to check it out before reading this(which i recommend), feel free to
> 
> without further ado, i hope you enjoy!

Tubbo had never been so happy to see a creeper in his life. 

Well, a creeper mask, he supposed. Same thing. It belonged to Sam, who lifted a hand in greeting as Tubbo, Tommy, and Niki approached.

“Sam!” 

Tubbo’s happy shout carried into the light breeze, and he followed it as he released Tommy’s hand so he could run the rest of the distance. 

He threw his arms around Sam in a big hug, immediately sinking into the welcoming body warmth that contrasted the chilly air. 

Sam gave a bright “hi!” and ruffled his hair. Huffing out a laugh, Tubbo pulled away and rejoined Niki and Tommy, where he bumped Tommy’s arm with his own reassuringly.

Sam asked how the trip was; Tommy muttered, “Long.”

Sam chuckled. “We better get inside then. Come on in.” He turned his back to them, and a flash of a tool was all they saw before the redstone-operated stone wall looming in front of them chipped open. 

“So cool,” Tubbo whispered, grabbing Tommy’s hand again to tug him inside, and Niki followed close behind. He could see Sam’s redstone work thousands of times and never get tired of it.

Sam waited for the door to shut before speaking. “What brings you here at this time of day?” Quickly, he added, “You are welcome, of course.” His hand reached to adjust his creeper mask that covered most of his face(with the exception of his mouth and chin), brown eyes kindly blinking from the eyeholes.

Niki easily took the lead, saying, “It’s a bit of an explanation. But we were wondering if we could spend the night for a few nights? Only if you’d accept us.”

Tubbo piped up, his eyes growing a little wider. “Because you told us to let you know if we ever needed help.”

Sam nodded, a tilted smile appearing. “Of course, of course! I mean this well, but you bunch look exhausted, so let’s get you to bed first.” He took a few steps, extending his hand to Tommy. “Good to see you, Tommy.”

Tommy hesitated, took Sam’s hand, and shook once. Then, just the slightest bit, his lip curled in distaste. (No one besides Tubbo noticed, most likely. Any other time Tubbo would’ve chastised him; but with the way Tommy held tight to Tubbo’s hand the entire trip and kept dazedly looking over his shoulder at what they left behind, he knew manners were low on Tommy’s priorities.) 

Sam moved on to Niki. “I’m Sam. I don’t believe we’ve met?”

She firmly took his hand and shook it. “It’s great to meet you. I’m Niki.”

They exchanged a few more words, something about discussing their situation later. Tubbo didn’t pay much attention, instead examining the wide space filled with chests and cactuses. 

Sam lightly clapped his hands together, beginning to slowly walk backwards. “I’ll show you where you can stay. Would you two prefer to be in a room together, or separate? Or even all three together?”

Tubbo and Tommy exchanged a glance. Tubbo said, “Together for me and Tommy, please. We’ll share the bed if it’s big enough.”

Their gazes turned to Niki. 

“I’ll be all right,” she said. “I’ll be talking with Sam for a little bit, then I’ll stay outside your room to keep watch—as long as that’s fine with him.” 

Sam nodded. Tubbo’s lips parted to protest—they’d made it clear Sam was trustworthy. But, the words never came. It made sense she reserved a little suspicion; plus, now wasn’t the time to argue it. 

They followed Sam along to the entrance of one of the rooms. Tubbo and Tommy entered easily, dropping down with the familiar pull and push of the blocks and springing to their feet on the other side of the wall. Behind them, Sam gave Niki instructions, who finally made it through with a little shriek. 

“I actually built this for Sapnap when he comes over,” Sam explained once he was upright again, his hands propped on his hips. “Which . . . hasn’t been much lately. So it’s all yours.”

He gave simple instructions of the bathroom location and the items they could use there. Once he finished, Tubbo said, “Thank you Sam.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good night, both of you.”

Tubbo sat on the bed, bouncing up and down a few times. It was a good mattress, he noted. Tommy joined him, albeit more stiffly. 

Niki murmured something to Sam, who nodded and left them alone. She then moved fluidly to stand in front of them both, her hands clasped together. “I’ll be right outside the door if you need anything,” she softly said. “Don’t be afraid to shout if something weird happens, okay?”

They nodded solemnly.

On a whim, Tubbo stood and wrapped his arms around Niki, resting his cheek against her shoulder as he blinked past her. She hugged back quickly, patting his back once before he pulled away, sitting down once again. He smiled at her, absentmindedly pressing his palms flat against his jeans and smoothing the denim down. “Thank you for coming with us. It really means a lot.” 

Tommy nodded along as Niki smiled warmly at them, her eyes crinkling in a way that discarded any doubt from Tubbo’s mind of her unwillingness to do this. 

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Good night Tommy; good night Tubbo.”

“G’night,” they chorused.

She went to stand in front of the exit, murmuring, “How does this work again?” In a flash, she was whisked down, leaving behind a pair of giggling boys. 

-

A little disoriented, Niki steadied herself on the wall, pressing her fingertips against the cool stone. 

Further away, Sam rummaged through a various array of chests.

He continued facing forward, a lock of green hair falling in front of his mask as he asked, “Would you like anything to drink?”

“Water, please.”

Sam nodded, then gestured to two plush chairs resting by the wall and near the room, but far away enough for them to talk. She sat, closely followed by Sam, who heaved a soft sigh as he went down. He handed her the water, and she relished the cool glass against her fingers.

Niki considered him across from her. 

Sam glanced over, but didn’t comment on her stare, content to blink away. 

After another moment of silence, he said, “Before we start, I have a question.”

She dipped her head.

“Is anyone chasing you?” He shifted his body to face her, hands palms up. “And I want you to be honest. I’d love to offer this place as refuge _anytime_ , like now. But if your safety is on the line, I need to know so I can make defenses.”

Niki shook her head. “Thankfully, no one is. We left the . . . area-” she waved her hand, not needing to explain Pogtopia- “on good graces and our own terms. But, you’ll be hearing the boys describe it as running away.”

At that, his spine straightened, just a tad. She continued.

“Everything became too much for Tommy and Tubbo. They wanted to leave for good and asked me to come with them. I said yes, and we told several people beforehand.” 

He nodded slowly. “And your plans after the few nights here?”

She fought the urge to fidget under Sam’s seemingly intense stare. “We were thinking of traveling further and building our own place. It’s not set in stone, but I’m sure we’ll manage.”

“I see.” He let it fall silent. 

She shifted, the plates of her armor clinking. “I would like to make something clear, though.”

He lifted his face to her. 

Niki clasped her hands together as she leaned forward, forearms propped on her knees. Their eye contact was smoldering, but neither shied away as she said, “If you lay a single harmful finger on either of them or spread information of our location, I’ll make sure you visit your respawn again-” she tapped the ax strapped to her hip with a finger once, twice- “and again.” She added a tiny smile. “Is that clear?”

He blinked, then nodded. “Crystal.”

She sat back. After a deep breath, Sam said, “I know you have reason to not completely trust me. But I hope we can part on good terms.” His lips curled into a rueful smile. “Besides, I’d quite honestly like to avoid your trio’s wrath—I’m sure it’s a dangerously beautiful thing.”

She returned the smile, partially smothering it by lifting the glass and sipping. A few silent moments passed until Niki asked, “How much do you know about Manberg and Pogtopia?” 

“The basics, I suppose. George—he’s my friend, y’know—writes letters or visits to keep me updated, but he’s been more quiet recently. And I’ve heard some from Bad and Tubbo.” 

Sam glanced to the room the pair was in, his tone lowering as he said, “I attended the festival, of course. An awful day.”

Niki nodded in agreement. Her face twisted slightly as she prepared to ask another question, but Sam began answering it before it could leave her mouth.

“And George _is_ my friend, but if he made any requests leaning on his political side, I would decline, for several reasons. Plus-” he shrugged- “my property is outside of Manberg, so I’m not under any obligations.”

The tension in Niki’s shoulders drained away.

They sat like that for a little while longer, quiet and thinking. 

“Those boys have been through a lot, haven’t they?” Sam softly asked.

Niki sorrowfully smiled. “Yes.”

She felt his eyes on her, and a little pit of dread caved in her stomach at his next words.

“And you too.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. 

A true statement. 

Niki couldn’t find it in herself to blame Sam for the pressure that began to build at the back of her eyes. 

She stared at the floor, finally saying, “I have. But it’s different for everyone, I think. I just . . . want to be there for them. They’re too young to go through that.”

He hummed in acknowledgement. Then, he spoke softly, like someone extending a welcoming hand to a frightened kitten. “If I may ask, have you considered you’re too young as well for what happened?”

Niki flinched. She was recently nineteen years old(and of _course_ everyone had heard about that God-awful celebration day). But she knew many on the SMP were (forced to be)much more mature than their age. So, she silently accepted that she was missing out on the peace in her young adulthood she’d longed for—to own a simple bakery(without a fear of taxes or imprisonment), to be with friends(who wouldn’t become crazed right before her eyes), to _live_. 

A pair of warm tears traced down her cheeks.

“You should go,” Niki whispered.

She heard him stand, then pause. “I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t be afraid to call if you need anything.”

She wiped her tears away to the beat of his receding footsteps. 

-

Tommy shifted, the unfamiliar, cool bed sheets moving with him. It was careful, as to not stir his friend, who breathed deep and even as he cuddled against his chest. 

Well, he _thought_ it was careful. 

Tubbo clutched at Tommy’s shirtsleeve a little tighter than he had been, pulling the fabric taut against his skin. “Go to sleep man,” he mumbled. “We’re safe here.”

Tommy sighed. “I know.” 

He knew Tubbo was tired; they both were. After all, the previous night they’d barely slept, with their backs against their cots and eyes staring at a stone ceiling in anticipation(or dread) of what the next day would bring. They’d left the next evening—now, the moon hung in the middle of the sky. 

A beat. 

Tommy whispered, “They’re talking about us.”

The thick wall muffled the words, but he could probably hear clearly if he stood close enough. Not that Tubbo would let him out of the bed, though.

Tubbo pulled away, looking up at Tommy. Exasperation was clear in his eyes, illuminated light blue by the soul lantern that served as a nice nightlight.

“Yes, they’re talking about us because we’re so awesome and cool,” Tubbo said. “Now shut up.” He buried his face back into Tommy’s chest.

“Fine,” Tommy grumbled through a tiny smile. “You know, if I wake up tomorrow and regret all this running away shit, you’re the one getting kicked out of bed.”

Deadpan, Tubbo said, “Can’t wait.”

Tommy sighed again and pulled Tubbo a little closer, who relaxed against him.

Exhaustion crept from the corners of his mind. As he let it overtake him, one thought remained, fuzzy with a sharp hope. 

They would be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you enjoy, kudos are appreciated but not required. i hope you have a great rest of your day!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four share a warm breakfast, and a beloved dog makes her appearance. They go outside, where Tommy and Tubbo play tag and Niki catches up on sleep. After, they eat pumpkin pie in Sam’s library.
> 
> warnings:  
> scars(from respawns, discussed in a positive setting)

Hazy, half-awake warmth wrapped around Tommy. He laid in it for a moment, blinking his eyes open occasionally as he recalled where he was. 

Tubbo’s back was somewhat pressed against his chest, the sheet and blanket pulled tight around him. _Sheet-stealer fucker_ , Tommy thought, yawning a bit loudly. His friend didn’t stir, so Tommy buried his bare feet further into the few covers he had and took his arm away from Tubbo to brush his own hair out of the way. He lightly draped his arm across Tubbo again and smiled when he shifted closer.

He laid there for a while more, staring at the painting hung on the wall. As he focused on the little brushstrokes of a tree in the corner, Tubbo rolled over—not away, but _on_ him, his shoulder jammed uncomfortably against Tommy’s side. 

Tommy glanced down to catch Tubbo’s eyes mid-crinkle, and he frowned. “No you don’t. Off.”

Slow and sleepy giggles burst out of Tubbo. “Morning to you too. And no.”

Tommy shoved his shoulder, forcing him to flop gracelessly onto his back; he didn’t protest and stared at the ceiling. 

Tubbo rubbed his eyes. After, he drew his hands back and stared offensively at his forearm, saying, “You drooled on me!” His arm oh-so-slowly drooped Tommy’s way in a pitiful effort to wipe it on him.

“And you kicked me,” Tommy shot back, easily evading him by sitting up. 

Tubbo sighed and gave up just as quickly as he started. “That was a good sleep though, I gotta admit. How about you?”

Tommy grinned. Compared to the cold, unforgiving nights in the ravine? “It was great.” 

Tommy rolled out of bed, then dug through the chest he’d deposited most of his things in. He retreated to the bathroom to change and get ready, and after he was out, Tubbo did the same. 

They exited the room, and when Tommy popped to his feet, he nearly stumbled through Tubbo, who’d barely moved out of the way.

“Jesus Christ, move-” he began, but stopped once he saw what Tubbo saw. 

Niki was a bit aways, curled up and asleep on a big armchair with her head lolled to the side. Beneath the blanket that covered her, iron armor peeked out.

Footsteps warned them of Sam’s arrival, who gave them a soft greeting. They returned it.

“Has she been up all night?” Tommy whispered.

Sam nodded, looking from her to the pair. “And as soon as she heard you wake up, she nodded off.”

And if Sam’s slumped posture and mouth parting in a gaping yawn said anything, it was that he had stayed up as well.

Tommy’s stomach clenched. Two people stayed awake, for their safety. 

Damn it. Just because he and Tubbo let Niki keep watch(despite their promises that Sam was perfectly harmless) didn’t mean they shouldn’t have offered to take a watch shift.

His thoughts were pushed to the side as Sam brought them to the kitchen and discussion filled the air of what they’d have for breakfast. They chose eggs and bacon. As Sam got to work, they sat at the dining table.

They continued to talk, mostly about food and Sam’s various item collectors as salivating sizzles were brought to life. 

A few moments later, Niki appeared in the doorway, sleepily smiling and her hair tousled to one side. 

Their apologies for being too loud were brushed off. Sam then directed her to the bathroom she could use to get ready. She came back dressed in overalls and a long sleeve shirt right as Sam set plates on the table. 

It quieted down as they dug into the fresh food.

Directly across from Tommy, Sam unhooked the mask’s ear clasps. He set it face-down on the table.

Brown eyes were lined with brown eyeliner and a long nose led to his mouth, where a curled, thin-lipped grin was directed Tommy and Tubbo’s way as they looked with widened eyes. They sheepishly glanced away once they realized they were staring, but Tubbo jerked his head up once again, focusing on Sam’s scar. It covered the middle of his forehead, then tapered down and ended at both of his temples.

Sam twirled his fork in his fingers, saying, “I got it from a creeper explosion.” 

“It’s like mine!” Tubbo gushed out, leaning forward. His fingers hooked on his shirt collar and pulled down to reveal the top half of his scar from the festival, which curled up to the bottom of his throat like flower petals. 

Tommy half-tuned out the discussion that followed, but smiled a bit around his mouthful eggs. It sort of reminded him of the night he and Tubbo silently sat side-by-side at Pogtopia’s little pool of water—the night where Tubbo studied his reflection for the longest time, then said that he _liked_ his scar, because the pattern was pretty and it told a story. Tommy had been quick to agree.

Sam was telling his scar’s story now, something about trying to create a gunpowder farm and failing to stay away from the creepers. He finished by sweeping his fork out grandly. Niki ducked to the side to avoid it, playfully narrowing her eyes, and Tubbo laughed. 

“So,” Tommy said. “Did you hunt down their families and get that mask for revenge?”

Sam’s mouth opened wide in a laugh. “No, no, I handmade it. Even after all that, creepers are my favorite mob.” 

Clicks on the tile flooring drew their attention to the door. 

A dog burst through, a long tongue lolling out. 

“Fran!” Tommy and Tubbo exclaimed at the same time. 

She barked twice, heading straight to Tommy. He giggled as she rose and put her paws on his knees, and he bent to pet her head, smoothing the silky, white fur back. He’d only met her once, but according to the licks she gave his wrist, he’d stuck in her memory in a good way.

After a few seconds, she dropped down, trotted to Tubbo, and pushed against his leg; he began to baby-talk to her, gently ruffling her fur with two hands. 

“Niki, meet Fran,” Sam said and leaned back, the front chair legs lifting off the floor. “Sorry for the startle. She comes in here to get her breakfast.”

Fran was released from Tubbo and moved on to Niki, who cooed and extended a hand. Fran pushed her snout against her palm, then her tongue darted out and licked it a few times. Niki giggled and reached to scratch behind her ears, and she leaned into the touch. 

Fran eyed the plates on the table as Sam scraped his chair back to retrieve her food. Once it was poured into the bowl, she abandoned Niki and dove into it.

Breakfast(brunch? Lunch? Apparently they’d woken up a bit before noon.) was finished without any other interruptions, and they gravitated outside.

When Tommy and Tubbo asked how safe the surrounding nature was, Sam said there weren’t any ravines to worry about, and the biggest worry was monsters from the previous night.

Sam gave a brief verbal tour of the closest spots around his house, and they ended at the side of his mountain. Him and Niki stood talking.

With no warning, Tubbo took a deep breath, shoved Tommy’s shoulder, and shouted, “Tag!” He ran towards the tree line, laughs trailing behind him.

Tommy sighed, exchanged a smile with Niki, then sprinted across nearly the entire field. He abruptly stopped once Tubbo rounded a tree and was out of view. He chuckled to himself, bounced on the balls of his feet, then mentally began a countdown from five.

Right as he hit one, Tubbo jogged out of the trees, pouting. 

“Tommy-” he started whining. 

Tommy lunged forward, making Tubbo shriek and scramble back—it was all in vain, because Tommy’s fingers caught his shoulder. 

Gleefully cackling and relishing Tubbo’s curses, Tommy dashed into the undergrowth. 

A bit later, Tommy caught his breath with his hands on his knees beside a tree trunk. Tubbo was once again “it”, but Tommy had lost him in the tangle of trees for a few minutes through very cool zig-zags and hopping across a stream. 

The leaves above him rustled, and Tommy tilted his head up.

“Oh my God,” he said as calmly as one could when there was a Tubbo crouched on the lowest branch, his eyes gleaming.

Tubbo pounced, Tommy squawked, and they landed on the ground in a pile of flailing limbs. Within a second, they were wrestling, sending curses and dirt and sticks flying.

It finished with Tubbo sitting on Tommy’s legs, grinning widely at him. 

“I won!” he chirped. 

“Fuck off, man,” Tommy groaned, letting his head hit the ground. 

Tubbo scooted off of him with a self-satisfied smirk. 

Tommy sat up and brushed dirt off his shirt.

Neither bothered to stand, so it was silently decided they’d sit and watch the landscape of trees and grassy plains stretching out from the side of the hill they sat on.

“How are you feeling?”

Tommy withheld a scoff at Tubbo’s careful question. Tubbo ended up continuing: “About ‘running away’, y’know? Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

Tommy exhaled long and slow. Finally, he said, “I think I don’t want to think hard about it today. You?”

“Right now I’m happy about it. Sam’s really awesome. But I’m kinda the same; I’m not thinking about the hard stuff.” Tubbo crossed his legs at his ankles. “But you know what I do think?”

“What?”

Tubbo poked his side with a finger, smirking. “I’m glad you finally took a damn shower last night.”

Tommy burst out laughing, barely managing to get it under control to scowl and jab back at Tubbo. “You weren’t any better! Maybe that’s why I slept so good; I didn’t have your stink in my face all night.”

(Really though, Tommy was very grateful for the fresh water and clean skin, and he was sure Tubbo thought the same.) 

Their giggles calmed down, and they sat there a little longer, watching the birds fly down and up the windy hill on the late-summer afternoon.

When they finally returned, each visibly softened at the sight that greeted them. Niki dozed on the grass, her head pillowed on Fran’s side and her arms curled close to herself. Fran lifted her head from where it rested on her paws to watch them approach.

Sam sat a bit away and waved. He stood, and they talked for a moment; they decided Tommy and Tubbo would head inside and grab something to eat, while he stayed outside until Niki woke up or the pair needed her for something.

Tommy and Tubbo had a quick meal of cooked chicken. Then, they each changed into clean shirts. 

Tommy, exiting their room and running his hand through his hair to settle it across his forehead, made his way to Tubbo and Niki, who stood talking. 

He zoned in on the blade of grass tangled in Niki’s hair. He muttered what he was doing and plucked it out once she nodded. He got it free, and he let it drop and smiled at her thanks.

Tubbo then asked if he’d like to join Niki and him to go to Sam’s library. Apparently Tubbo had yet to explore it, and Sam said he was fine with it—he’d catch up with them once he was done with something in the kitchen. 

Tommy agreed, but told them he’d be there in a minute. 

He watched them leave, then slipped into the kitchen. 

Sam was kneeled in front of some of his chests, but startled when he noticed Tommy standing in the doorway. “Oh! Hey. Need anything?”

Tommy ran a hand through the front of his hair, giving a sideways smile. “Not really.” Just get straight to the point, he supposed. “Just wanted to say thanks, y’know? It’s nice of you to keep some stowaways.” 

(Really, he meant to say thank you yesterday, but his thoughts that they’d _left_ were running round and round. Sam was a great guy, based on their few interactions and how much Tubbo gushed about him. Well, it did piss him off to no end that Sam was taller than him by a good few inches. But hey, Tommy had _some_ manners.) 

Sam shut the chest and got to his feet. “It’s not a problem. You can stay as long as you’d like.”

“Great.”

They stood there staring. Then, the furnace beeped, and Sam startled into action.

“Hey,” Sam began. “Want to help me carry this? I’m sure Fran would love me dropping the whipped cream on the floor-” she looked up from where her water and food bowls were, tail wagging, and Sam chuckled- “but I’d rather not.”

Tommy agreed, and they got to work.

Sam pulled a pumpkin pie from the furnace, explaining that he’d made it the day prior. He’d never given Tommy or Tubbo warm pie, so he figured now was better than never.

Tommy held the silverware and napkins, avoided tripping over Fran as she weaved between their legs, and followed Sam to the library.

They got there without much trouble. The shelves were made of dark oak and rose up about ten feet, leaving a gap for the ceiling. The aisles were wide, giving the medium-small room a larger appearance. The plush, royal purple carpet was soft against his socked feet.

Further on, there was a small alcove with a couch and a few armchairs curved before an inactive fireplace. Niki sat on the couch, reading the book in her lap out loud(something about redstone) as Tubbo perused the shelves a bit aways. He then came their way, perching on the armchair as Tommy and Sam handed the food out. 

Tommy plopped down next to Niki, and upon receiving his slice of pie from Sam, proclaimed: “Sam, you’re weird.”

Niki gave something between a gasp and a laugh, and Sam sounded like he choked on his laugh as he sat down. 

“What?!” Tommy said. “You are. Always bringing me a stack of pies out of nowhere.” And said pie was _delicious_ , cold or warm. He hadn’t even taken a bite of the one before him, yet he was drooling over the flaky crust and warm smell curling from it.

“I just have extra,” Sam simply responded. “And you eat them, don’t you?” He set his mask on the armrest, an eyebrow raising his way.

Tommy shrugged. “Yeah. Still doesn’t change anything.”

Niki laughed. “They must be good then.”

“They are!” Tubbo said around a bite of pie. 

Tommy fake-gagged, crumpling his napkin up and throwing it Tubbo’s way. The napkin fell short, and he took a bite. “Close your damn mouth,” he mumbled around his own full mouth.

“Says you,” Tubbo said, “Mister-”

“Tubbo,” Niki gently warned, effectively stopping whatever gross-hygiene-example Tubbo was going to give. “And Tommy. Not in front of the food.”

They obediently fell quiet and dug in. 

Their plates were cleaned, and a chorus of “Thank you Sam”s rang out.

Sam smiled, hooking his mask back on. “Guess being weird equals good baking, huh?”

Tubbo laughed and said, “Don’t worry, Sam. He calls everyone he likes weird.”

Tommy abruptly straightened up. “I do _not_!”

“Yeah-huh,” Tubbo said. “You call me weird all the time.”

“That just means I hate you.” Tommy was pouting now, but he didn’t care and slumped back. 

Niki mischievously smiled his way. “I suppose I’m not too weird yet, hm?”

Before Tommy could even open his mouth, Tubbo cut in. “Oh no, he calls you weird all the time.”

“ _Tubbo_ ,” Tommy whined, dragging out the ‘o’ and slouching further into the couch. “Stop it.” 

They all giggled, and Tommy heaved an over-dramatic sigh, which barely covered up his smile. 

Conversation sprung up between Sam and Niki, something about baking together sometime before they had to leave. Tommy tuned it out and pulled his feet onto the couch, bringing his knees close to his chest as he snuggled into the soft cushions. 

He let his eyes drift shut, appreciating the warmth settled heavy in his stomach and bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!   
> thank you for reading :) the next chapter will probably be posted within a week and is mostly through niki’s pov(because i swear she doesn’t just sleep in this story hdjsld) and covers how they all decide to stay with sam.
> 
> merry christmas and happy holidays!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finds a certain to-do list; then, we follow Niki and her thoughts during a month at Sam’s.  
> At the end of the month, their decision is made. 
> 
> warnings:  
> mentions of crying

A stick flew in the air and was caught neatly between Fran’s jaws. 

Fran ran back to Tubbo, who praised her for the catch. His sweet words quickly dropped when she refused to relinquish the stick and they began a mini-tug-of-war for it. Niki stood beside him, laughing, and Sam sat nearby, fiddling with a miniature redstone device in his hands. 

Tommy left them behind, heading back to the house in a light jog. 

He entered the main area with a bounce in his step and a hum to a nameless tune on his lips. He dropped to his knees in front of the miscellaneous chests, the middle one where Sam had said Fran’s frisbee was located.

The chest was packed full, so he took items off layer by layer and spread them on the floor. Finally, his fingers closed around the smooth circle, and he got to replacing everything. 

There were a few leads here, a couple empty flower pots there, and several leather-bound books. Some of those had flopped open, having fallen from the stack he made. 

As he flipped them shut and settled them inside, his eyes absentmindedly flitted over the pages. 

Halfway through, one caught his attention: a to-do list. 

His laugh echoed in the empty room. He and Sam could bond over that, huh?

He closed the book. Right before the pages snapped shut, he caught his name. _His_ name, Tommy, scrawled in ink.

Eyes wide, he hastily thumbed through the book, sending a quick look over his shoulder. 

Finally, finally, he found it. At the top, the date read to be about a month ago, long before this had all started. And there, at the bottom, it read:

_Build Tommy and Tubbo a room._

The book dropped from his fingers like it was a piece of hot coal. 

The cover fell shut on its own, holes practically being burned into its leather from Tommy’s stare. 

After an entire minute, Tommy put the book away and slammed the chest lid shut. He pressed his hands against the wood to support himself as he stood, grabbed the frisbee, and stumbled away. 

(His secret hope that Sam really, actually cared for them was proven true. 

And the new spark of want in his chest for something more permanent was honestly scary.)

He would talk to Tubbo about it later.

-

Sam gained Niki’s trust much more quickly than she would’ve predicted.

For starters, his hospitality was very welcoming. There was plenty of food and a warm place to stay and beautiful surroundings to enjoy.

Also, the first full day simply . . . happened. After Tommy and Tubbo disappeared into the wilderness, she and Sam had shared a (somewhat)relaxed conversation, something about dogs and other sorts of pets(‘no, _foxes_ are cuter’). 

Fran had cuddled to her side after receiving belly rubs, and Niki eventually laid beside her, back on the grass, as she and Sam continued to talk. 

Her eyelids were quick to start drooping during the lulls in conversation. When Sam softly offered for Niki to rest and he would watch for any monsters, it took less than a few minutes for her to drift to sleep. 

So, she slept outside, with no other protection than Sam and her spawn naively still set in Pogtopia. 

The latter realization hadn’t come to her until that evening. After getting over her slight stupidity, she understood harm never came when it could’ve and therefore rested easy for every moment that followed.

One day turned into one week. They decided they still weren’t ready to choose their next move, so Sam repeated and they accepted the offering to stay as long as they wanted. 

Time came and went; Niki spent it with all three of them, individually and together. 

When Sam and Tubbo went to visit their guardian farm project in the ocean, her and Tommy relaxed inside, his head on her lap as he nodded off to sleep and she ran gentle fingers through his hair that was in desperate need of a trim. 

When Sam and Tommy went outside in the pouring rain to experiment with Sam’s trident, Tubbo confided his stress and recent nightmares with her, breaking down in her arms and crying into her shoulder and sharing a long talk after. 

When Tommy and Tubbo went exploring outside, her and Sam shared baking tips, he showed off the redstone contraptions in his base, she picked flowers to brighten his house and told him the names of each one along the way. (And as soon as she showed trust, he also relaxed around her more. It was nice, to gain a new friend. It ached, to know they might leave it behind soon.)

All together, they spent a night on their communicators, looking over the responses they’d received from the goodbyes each had chosen to send virtually. 

That evening was teary, and Sam’s silent support through his provision of tissues, warm drinks, and hugs didn’t go unappreciated.

Niki’s time alone was spent baking or pouring over the maps in Sam’s library. She accumulated sheets of paper, marked with possible routes they could take to explore and eventually settle down in.

Something in her chose to exclude Tommy and Tubbo from looking through it with her—for now, at least, because she felt they needed more time to process on their own and together what they really wanted their future to look like. 

Four weeks had come and gone in total; it was one of those secluded nights in the library when the pair approached her apprehensively, reminiscent of when they first asked her to run away with them. They settled beside each other on the couch, each perched forward as Tommy mumbled that they wanted to talk to her about something. 

She leaned forward in her armchair, set her stack of marked papers on the coffee table, and said, “Go right ahead.”

They eyed the papers, and Tubbo jerked his chin to it, saying, “That’s what it’s about, actually.”

“Going?” she asked, leaning weight onto the armrest.

They nodded.

Tubbo started. “You know how we wanted to explore and find somewhere to stay after Sam’s?”

Tommy picked it up after Niki confirmed it with a nod. “We both talked and . . . well, we could still explore _and_ stay in one spot pretty easily.”

Tubbo shifted restlessly, his knee knocking against Tommy’s. “No one knows we’re here unless we change our mind and meet with them after everything has calmed down.” He took a breath. “I also really like Sam.”

“I do too,” Tommy admitted, a bit more softly.

(And Niki knew Sam liked them. If it wasn’t clear enough from their first conversation, then his actions proved it further. Tommy broke a pair of Sam’s good netherite boots when he and Tubbo had messed around in nearby a desert biome—Sam calmly said it could be replaced. Tommy and Tubbo shouted and sang indoors when Sam had a headache—Sam hummed along before quietly retreating to his room.)

Niki smiled and hummed an agreement.

In a rush of an exhale, Tommy said, “We’d like to stay. And not leave.”

“Permanently,” Tubbo said. “Unless something changes, or he doesn’t want us to.” 

Tommy quickly said, “As long as you want to also.”

They each had their own hands clenched in their laps, eyes wide Niki’s way.

“I would like that,” she said, adding a smile like an afterthought. “I really think Sam is good for us. And having a stable place is good.”

Tommy and Tubbo slumped back on the couch at the same time, breathing out heavily. 

They all sat there for a moment, processing and silent and staring at nothing. 

Tommy broke the silence. “Y’know, if he says doesn’t want us here for good, we can hold him at swordpoint and make it our home. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again.”

They all burst into laughter. 

The next morning, a long conversation was held. 

Niki truly was happy with the decision they’d made the previous evening and to help present it to Sam. She was even happier to see the matching grins spread onto Tommy and Tubbo’s face at Sam’s tearful “yes”. 

It ended with big bear hugs for each of them from Sam, his sniffles highlighting it all. 

The next day, he presented them each with an individual netherite hoe, the tool used to open his base’s automatic door—a bit of a ‘welcoming gift’, as he said, with a specific sappy note attached to each one.

It was their turn to cry. (And even Tommy bit back a joke for the sake of a genuine, “Thanks, big man.”)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year!! getting to be in this fandom and write some stuff for it was really a highlight of last year for me,, and the support for this story is awesome, thank you all <3  
> i hope this year starts off well for everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo and Tommy quite accidentally recreate a bench moment + Sam has a musical gift for each of them + small dance scene
> 
> warnings: none

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i want to make something clear really quick  
> therapy is brought up in this chapter, and it will be mentioned in future ones (why the tag is added). in the background of this story, the process of healing from trauma will be happening, but i'm not going to describe anything related to it in detail (with the exception of a couple hurt/comfort scenes that are planned).  
> i'm pretty much writing only snippets of the character's lives, but more happens in the background if that makes sense 
> 
> on another note! there's a dance scene in this chapter- i'm not the best at describing dances and with the little research i did, i couldn't find a video to link as reference. but! it's based on personal experience and i promise it's a fun dance to do with friends :))
> 
> thank you for reading and stay safe <3

Tubbo climbed up a low hill, hearing Tommy groan and grumble behind him. 

The beads of sweat on his forehead were finally cooling away, helped along by the breeze.

It’d been a long day. He and Tommy had walked around the part of the forest they had yet to explore. A highlight was when they poked their head into a cave that seemed to open up to a winding cave system. Tommy had shrieked when a skeleton in the shadows shot at him. Like the good friend Tubbo was, he saved him and relentlessly teased him for the rest of the day.

The ground beneath Tubbo’s feet smoothed out to the tip-top of the incline. A weirdly-shaped oak tree towered close by. Four individual trunks wove their roots together to form a thick, single intertwined tree that reached its leafy branches to the evening sky. 

They each plopped down in front of the tree, wordlessly deciding to watch the sun fall the rest of the way to the horizon.

Tubbo busied himself with picking at a loose thread on the thigh of his jeans, sometimes glancing up to check the new color of the sky. Currently, it was a darker blue and orange was starting to sneak into the cracks of the few bulky grey clouds.

The next time he looked up, he noticed Tommy was staring quite wistfully ahead with his knees pulled up to his chest.

He turned, squished his cheek against his knee, and looked at Tubbo a little strangely. 

Tubbo knew that look. It was when he had so many thoughts, probably emotional, and he was figuring out how to say them.

Tubbo waited. 

“We should get into your ender chest sometime,” Tommy said, directing his gaze forward the moment he spoke. “For a sunset, y’know.”

(For the Mellohi disc. Tommy had Blocks, and Cat was in Skeppy’s possession.

Not having Cat was still a sensitive area for Tommy, Tubbo knew. 

But, like an animal licks its wounds, Tommy was taking a few steps in his way of healing. Tubbo was proud.)

“Mm.” Tubbo sent a reassuring smile his way. “We definitely could.”

Words rushing out, Tommy said, “And- and maybe a bench. We could make it out of oak. Or spruce. You like spruce, right?”

Tubbo laughed softly. “I’d like that either way. As long as you want to.”

Tommy smiled into his knees, then nodded.

They watched the rest of the sunset in silence.

-

Tommy drew his knees to his chest and pressed the side of his forehead against cool glass, looking on. 

He was in his room—his _new_ room, designed by himself and built by both Sam and him. (Well, mostly Sam, but Tommy had been convinced to help with supplies instead of getting under his feet the entire time.)

Sam was actually the first to bring up new rooms to all three of them. 

Tommy admitted to wanting something not entirely covered in rock, and they got to work. It was roomy, with a large window on one side that was on the side of the mountain.

His and Tubbo’s room were side-by-side, connected by a door. They agreed they wanted their own space, but each bed was big enough to fit two people whenever they felt like sleeping together for the night. 

Niki was content with what she already had, but spent a little time redecorating and making Sam replace the redstone door with a normal one. It was still quite close to theirs, but not linked directly. 

Just a glass pane away from Tommy, rain poured down against the grey, dreary backdrop of nature. 

He smirked to himself. Huh, he was the poster-child for an angsty kid in some book right now, wasn’t he? Contrary to that thought, he felt rather content. A little antsy, admittedly, having not gone outside since early morning, but he was content and warm, helped by the fuzzy blanket wrapped around him.

His mind drifted to another conversation Sam recently had with all of them. It was about the availability of going to therapy, if they were interested.

“I met her—Puffy’s her name—through Bad a while back. Then she was my therapist for about a year,” Sam had said. “After that, she decided to go back to her ‘exploring as a pirate’ days.” 

Sam went on to say that Bad told him Puffy was coming back with some of her crewmates—not close, though, but in a village a bit away from the main area. 

Puffy was offering therapy services again. Sam said there was also another therapist, Alyssa, previously established in the same village. Sam offered his help with the payment for the sessions if any of them wanted to look into either therapist, then continue however they felt comfortable. 

Tubbo had already decided to try a session with Alyssa, which was set to happen next week. Niki was still thinking over it, as was Tommy. He was pretty sure he was ready to ask if he could schedule with Puffy. Maybe he’d talk to Sam tomorrow, after breakfast. 

A knock sounded on his main door, the person pausing a few seconds before pushing in. 

Tommy twisted around, the blanket slipping off of one shoulder. 

Tubbo stuck his head in. “Hey,” he said. “Sam wants us in that one room he made off limits.”

Tommy curled his lip, groaned in faux-annoyance, and swung his legs off the window seat, dropping the blanket to the ground. “Any reason?”

Tubbo shrugged. “Dunno. But he’s acting all mysterious. And hyper.”

“Is Fran pregnant?” Tommy joked(Fran was spayed), stepping out with him. Tubbo laughed and took the lead down the hallway, trailing a hand along the ridges of the wall.

Niki was already waiting by the door, and Sam visibly perked up at the sight of them. 

He bounced their way, then walked in time with them as he waved his hands about and talked. “Okay! This is sort of a . . . home present, I think? I got it here as soon as I could. C’mon.”

Tommy raised his eyebrows and dutily followed. Stepping inside, his feet sunk into plush dark red carpet. 

The three of them gasped at nearly the same time.

“No _way_.”

Tommy and Tubbo sprinted a few steps into the room, stopping in front of the _very real_ medium-grand piano. Tubbo slowly put one finger on the middle C, pressing down and grinning at the note it released.

“You got this?!” Tubbo asked, sharply turning to Sam while Tommy gaped at it.

Sam nodded with a grin. “Yes! From one of the villages I trade at. I’ll admit that getting it in here without you guys noticing was hell, but I used a redstone machine to carry it.” He took a breath to recover from his quick words, then nodded to Tubbo. “I’ll show you after.”

Tommy pressed his palm against the black smoothness of its side, looking up to the big window installed high on the wall, which let dim light flow in.

“Holy shit,” Tommy whispered, turning big eyes to Sam. “You are so rich.”

Sam burst out laughing, bending over a little. Tommy stumbled to tack on: “And- and thank you Sam. Jesus.”

Sam nodded happily, finishing his giggles and jogging to a little alcove in the corner. “Niki, there’s something for you too. Just a second.”

There was a little banging around before he came out with an acoustic guitar in hand.

Niki covered her mouth with a hand. “ _Sam_.”

“Tubbo told me you played.” He smiled with one corner of his mouth and held the instrument out, arms straight.

She took it by the neck and slipped the strap over her head. The strap hung too low and needed adjustment, but the weight of it rested in her hands.

She just held it, looking like tears were about to burst any second. 

Tommy felt the same. He was happy, honestly. Just emotional.

(They had a piano, back in L’manberg. It got destroyed in the original explosion. He was pretty sure the same happened to the guitar Wilbur and Niki shared. 

It’d been so long since music had been produced by their own hands.)

Sam, on the other hand, stared at Niki and scratched the back of his neck. “Um, I’m not really a music guy,” he said, softer now. “A villager helped me with the types, but if you guys want a different kind just- just let me know.” 

Tubbo padded over and wrapped his arms around Sam in a hug, breaking him out of his awkward pose. “It’s perfect. Thank you, Sam,” he mumbled into his shirt. 

Tommy joined him, mostly hugging Sam’s side and a little of Tubbo. Sam wrapped a warm arm around Tommy. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Niki slid the strap off and gently set the guitar on the floor. She jostled the group with her own big hug, making them all smile. 

“You’re welcome.”

-

It was just a little later, now late afternoon. Tubbo played the piano, and they lounged in the beanbags lining one of the walls. Tommy couldn’t tell if he recognized what Tubbo played, but it was upbeat and made his feet unconsciously tap along.

He was spacing out a bit, but next thing he knew, Sam had a hand held down to him. Tommy scowled.

“What?” Sam laughed. “Let’s dance. It’s not going to kill you.”

“Dance,” Tommy repeated, glancing at Niki, who smiled and shrugged. 

Sam wiggled his shoulders up and down, tilting his head side-to-side a few times. “Y’know. _Groove_.”

“You are so cheesy, oh my God,” Tommy groaned. Still, he took Sam’s hand to haul himself up. He glanced at Tubbo, who smiled down at the keys. 

“Here,” Sam said, grinning and a little loud in Tommy’s face. “Let’s do this swing dance thing. I promise it’s fun. And simple. I know hard things don’t go well for your brain.” 

“Hey!” Tommy lightheartedly protested, but smiled anyways and put his other hand into Sam’s outstretched one.

Sam walked him through it. It was confusing at first. But, after a few times of stepping away, stepping in to one side, repeat with the other side, this weird hand move that led to a spin, hands back together, and repeat, it was good. 

And once Tommy stopped pouting over the fact that _he_ had to be spun since he was shorter, and they smoothly did it one full time, he was grinning. 

They were able to consistently do it for the remainder of the new song playing, and Tommy relaxed into the push and pull motions.

When Tubbo played a final staccato note, Tommy stopped, took a second to regain his bearings, then moved to Niki. “You’re next,” he said, grin stretching impossibly wider.

She matched his expression and accepted his hands. “I suppose you’re just a master at it now.”

“Oh, I am.”

He wasn’t, they found. Not with someone who’d only watched how it was done. Still, they stumbled through it together with laughter and teasing from Sam, then (sort of) got the hang of it. 

While that happened, Sam had somehow convinced Tubbo to dance with them. Despite the lack of music, they continued to dance around, varying from that specific dance they’d learned to whatever came to mind. 

Tommy’s favorite part was probably him and Tubbo shouting the tune to this song they loved about a year or two ago, jumping up and down next to each other.

A little bit of calm later, Tommy ended up on the piano bench, playing one of the songs he remembered Tubbo teaching him. 

He smiled at the noise he was able to make, warmly realized Niki was mindlessly humming along from where she sat on a beanbag, and reached for the next chord.


End file.
